City staff spent $220,000 at America's Cup

The New Zealand Taxpayers Union is lashing out at council-controlled Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) for spending more than $200,000 on sending staff and media to the America's Cup in San Francisco.

They say sending a few key staff is justified, but 11 staff and seven members of the media is more of a junket than a work trip.

Executive Director Jordan Williams says its would have contributed more to San Francisco's economic development than Auckland's.

He says they are filing an Official Information Request on the nature of the spending.

"We want to know precisely what they were doing over there. Were they sitting on boats watching the America's Cup, or were they actually working?

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The Taxpayers' Union is 100 per cent politically independent. We are not affiliated with any political party and will never become a political party. We work with all parties, MPs or candidates that share our objectives. We work with any and all political parties and other organisations to expose government waste and low-quality government spending. Individual members have their own political involvements, but as an organisation the Taxpayers’ Union is vigorously independent in promoting the interests of New Zealand taxpayers.